Archive · 18 Dec 2025
Britain Sanctions Russian Oil Firms, Billionaire
Britain has put new sanctions on some Russian oil companies and a rich businessman named Murtaza Lakhani.
They also sanctioned his companies and some ships that Russia uses to trade oil secretly.
The European Union did something similar by sanctioning more ships.
The goal is to make it harder for Russia to sell its oil around the world.
Russia says these sanctions are not fair.
Britain also targeted some supply chains that help make things like ammunition and missiles.
This is all because of the war in Ukraine.
Britain imposed sanctions on 24 individuals and entities, including major Russian oil companies and Canadian-Pakistani billionaire Murtaza Lakhani.
The sanctioned oil companies include Tatneft, Russneft, NNK-Oil, and Rusneftegaz, which are among Russia's largest remaining unsanctioned oil firms.
The EU also imposed sanctions on 41 more ships in Russia's shadow fleet, which seeks to bypass Western trading restrictions.
Murtaza Lakhani, who began his career at Glencore and runs Mercantile & Maritime, was sanctioned for being a major trader of Russian oil.
Britain is also targeting Central Asian supply chains of cotton pulp, a key component in ammunition, explosives, and missile fuel, to clamp down on Russia's access to these materials.
- Who
- Britain, the European Union, Murtaza Lakhani, Mercantile & Maritime, Tatneft, Russneft, NNK-Oil, Rusneftegaz
- What
- Imposition of sanctions on Russian oil companies, a billionaire, and his companies, as well as ships in Russia's shadow fleet and supply chains of cotton pulp
- When
- Thursday
- Where
- Global, with a focus on Russia and the UK
- Why
- To ramp up pressure on Moscow over the war in Ukraine and make it harder for Russia to trade its oil globally
- Sanctioned Entities
- 24 individuals and entities, including Tatneft, Russneft, NNK-Oil, Rusneftegaz, Murtaza Lakhani, and his companies
- Sanctioned Oil Companies
- Tatneft, Russneft, NNK-Oil, Rusneftegaz
- Sanctioned Billionaire
- Murtaza Lakhani
- Sanctioned Companies
- Mercantile & Maritime
- Sanctioned Ships
- 41 ships in Russia's shadow fleet
- Sanctioned Supply Chains
- Central Asian supply chains of cotton pulp
